Ever wondered about the journey of the herbs in your bottle of artemis ViroGoneTM or one of our other respiratory and immune products?
Well, you’re in luck! Join us as we take you on a journey from hillside to bottle and learn what it takes to wild harvest an incredible local plant and turn it into a potent natural health product.
Harvest time
Every spring, when the steep hillsides of Central Otago are a spectacular sight of rich purple and green, artemis heads out on our annual Thyme Harvest.
A heady scent hangs in the air, becoming stronger as the sun shines. During the harvest period, just as it is all year round, the extreme climate is changeable, with blue skies and sunshine becoming squally sleet within hours. But this is just one of the factors that contributes to the beneficial properties of Central Otago Thyme.
Thyme for immune health and respiratory health
This potent thyme - Thymus vulgaris - has been used for respiratory health for centuries, and it is a key ingredient in the artemis respiratory & immune range, and one of the reasons that our products work so well to support your health.
What makes it so special? Central Otago Thyme benefits
The tingle on your tongue from tasting the smallest piece of Central Otago Thyme when it is ready to harvest is one of the easiest ways to detect the potency of the active properties in this powerhouse plant.
In New Zealand, it is only found growing wild in the harsh alpine environment and extreme climate of Central Otago, having been brought to the area by miners in the gold rush of the 1860s.
The story goes that these miners spent about half a day up to their waist in the glacial rivers panning for gold – and knew that they were going to need something to support their respiratory health.
This was in the time before antibiotics – so if you fell ill, your chances of recovery were slim. Prevention and support were key.
So, Thyme plants were brought over on boats – lovingly kept alive and planted so that this important herb was at their disposal to support their immune health and respiratory health.
Little did they know that the harsh environment of Central Otago would breed a variety of Thyme even more potent than the one they knew from home.
We know that the climate and soils of Central Otago produce some of the world’s finest vineyards. And it is the same for Central Otago Thyme.
With the extreme weather and dry conditions, the Thyme that grows here is so much more than your average garden variety.
This Thyme needs to protect itself from the elements - the harsh sun, heat, dryness and extreme cold - and it does this by producing high levels of essential oils and antioxidants. These are the same plant compounds that you benefit from when you ingest the Thyme. Those essential oils support your respiratory system. And antioxidants are known to have a host of health benefits as they mop up harmful molecules in the body called free radicals.
And just like you need both beautiful grapes, and a very experienced winemaker to make the best Pinot Noir, artemis has developed specific expertise in harvesting and processing this Thyme, constantly adjusting the extraction process for maximum potency.
Using only what is 100% natural and of the highest quality is at the heart of everything artemis does, and all of the products in the artemis Respiratory & Immune range include our exclusive fresh plant extract of Central Otago Thyme.
Grown by Nature, Backed by Science
Traditional plant remedies are based on thousands of years of use across the world. Modern science is now providing evidence which supports and further explains many of these traditional plant uses. Here at artemis we have a phrase which is at the core of our company, ‘Grown by nature, backed by science’. And it’s not just a tagline, it’s how we operate.
That’s why in 2018 artemis embarked on a three-year project with Plant & Food Research. The research was designed to scientifically investigate the potential health benefits of wild-grown Central Otago Thyme and to validate our proprietary harvest and extraction processes. The results showed that Central Otago Thyme has huge potential as a natural New Zealand ingredient to support respiratory health. The plant and the way we process it at artemis has been shown to be three times as potent as European pharmacopoeia-grade Thyme, which is the worldwide gold standard.
Back to the harvest: New Zealand thyme uses
After a long couple of weeks harvesting out in the hills, artemis processes the Central Otago wild harvested thyme fresh, to seal in all the goodies that this potent plant has to offer.
Then it goes off to be blended with other plants into the many different formulas that we make to support the different aspects of respiratory and immune health.
Before long, it makes its way to your home – with our promise to support your health with the highest quality, 100% natural plant formulas, including this amazing plant that we are so lucky to have growing in our own backyard.
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Always read the label and use as directed. If symptoms persist, see your health professional. Artemis Ltd, Auckland NZ.
TAPS Approval No: PP3413